


you age like fine wine, you taste better every time

by howdidigethereffs



Category: Winner (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jinwoo POV, M/M, Pining, art major minho, business major seunghoon, cute shenanigans, history major jinwoo, intense descriptions of minho's bodyparts lol, just guys being dudes, minor seungseung, mostly jinho/minwoo, photography major seungyoon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:22:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29609370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howdidigethereffs/pseuds/howdidigethereffs
Summary: Jinwoo adores all inches of Minho’s body, he just realizes the beauty of a different detail at a different time.
Relationships: Kang Seungyoon/Lee Seunghoon, Kim Jinwoo/Song Minho | Mino
Comments: 19
Kudos: 17





	1. your legs

The first time Kim Jinwoo met Song Minho, Jinwoo noticed how long Minho’s legs were. It happened outside campus when he was with Seunghoon waiting for Seungyoon to come from his classes. 

  
  
  


He was laying down next to a standing Seunghoon on the soft grass of the small field outside the central campus, basking in the sunlight. It definitely wasn’t cold, but not too hot either. Just the right amount of appreciable warmth that the afternoon sun in spring was providing coaxed Jinwoo to sigh in contentment. Today is, and will be, a good day, he thought to himself.

Seunghoon impatiently shook his leg up and down, “What’s taking him so long? I swear these Arts major kids take time for granted. How much you wanna bet he’s going to show up 15 minutes late with some bullshit pulled out of his flat ass like ‘Sorry I was entranced by the passing of whimsical beauty and wanted to capture it in a timeless frame by taking a photo with my unreasonably crazy expensive camera’?”

Jinwoo huffed in light amusement, “Relax Hoon-ah, you’re too rigid. I suppose that’s expected from someone who chose a major as boring as Business Management?”

“Super loud from someone who’s gonna graduate as a History student. You willingly signed up for a lifetime of unemployment.”

Jinwoo replied by just shaking his head and resuming his session of temporary hibernation. The session that only lasted about ten seconds before being disturbed again by the man next to him shouting, “Kang Seungyoon! Start running or I swear to god!”

Jinwoo sat up and started to put on his beat-up sneakers, not even bothering to look up at the boy huffing like a dog that ran up behind him.

“Sorry hyung,” Seungyoon managed between breaths, “I just caught the most perfect, iridescent butterfly passing by-”

Jinwoo didn’t need to look up to know that Seunghoon had shut him up with the raise of one hand, “Save it dickhead, I’ve heard it all before. You know you’re paying now right?”

“Hyung, you’re too mean,” Seungyoon whined while lightly punching the older boy’s arm.

“Enough of your pathetic excuse for aegyo, who’s your friend?”

Jinwoo, still seated and in the middle of tying the frustrating laces of his second shoe, paused what he was doing to finally look up at the unknown presence he just picked on. His eyes trailed on the new boy’s body while he was looking up. This boy’s legs were long, super long and they seemed to go on for days until Jinwoo reached his torso and finally his face. If Jinwoo wasn’t extremely hyper-aware of himself and his surroundings all of a sudden, he would have almost gaped. 

Apart from the longest pair of legs he had ever seen (save for maybe Seunghoon’s), this boy had a beautiful face. Sculpted jaw, sharp nose and sharper eyes. A small mouth with a piercing resting on the lip, well proportioned with his ears and thick eyebrows. Every part placed to serve a purpose. A gorgeous face. Except that the gorgeous face, he hadn’t noticed previously, was looking down at him with a gentle smile and a hand stretched out to help him get up. He took the hand and got up. Jinwoo thought the universe was kind to give him an excuse for skinship.

“This is Song Minho, Fine Arts major. We met at Color Theory and I thought it would be fun to bring him along,” Seungyoon stated as he patted Minho’s back. Minho took his hand back from Jinwoo and lifted it in a light wave with a crooked smile, a clear indication that he came in peace. 

Jinwoo finally understood why Seungyoon valued angles while taking his photos so much. The view from this one was way better. Standing up straight, he finally saw Minho’s face more conspicuously than before, with his beloved spring sunlight making the other’s slightly tan skin glow. He noticed Minho was easily a few, maybe two or three inches taller than him. Jinwoo may have been petite but he was not short, so it was a bit uncommon for him to find boys considerably taller than him (again, save for Seunghoon). Taller boy, just his type. Top that with bleached hair and brows, scattered body tattoos and a sleeveless grey vest that hugged his frame just right… well fuck. 

“This is Seunghoon hyung,” Seungyoon introduced and Minho shook hands with the man in question, “and this is Jinwoo hyung,” Jinwoo earned no special treatment, only the same firm handshake. Much to his dismay. 

“Come on guys, let’s get going,” Seunghoon led them forward. “So Minho,” he started as they walked, “You genuinely interested in Seungyoon’s blabbering or did he drag you here because he threatened to take your family hostage?”

Minho might have just laughed for a second but it was long enough to be a hymn for Jinwoo. “Nah,” he replied, “the kid might talk a lot of shit but you know sometimes he can be kind of fun.” 

Minho’s voice was deep, as expected, yet still melodious and sweet, unexpected. Interesting.

Seunghoon’s eyes widened in pretend disbelief, “We’re not talking about the same Kang Seungyoon, are we?! This hippie who wears his grey hair like a rat?”

“Hyung! You call it silver, not grey!” Light punches were now being thrown at Seunghoon’s back.

Minho laughed a little louder this time, “I know right, hard to believe,” he continued in a calmer tone, “We actually got paired together for an assignment. Prof thought it would be a good idea to mix up the majors within his class. Yoon was the first partner I had in a long time who not only did his own part but took on a bit of mine too. I had to befriend him, you know, for future services.”

“Ah,” Seunghoon nodded in understanding, “So this idiot can do his assignments religiously but can’t show up to his friend’s meeting spots on time?” Seunghoon’s back was then pushed.

“Anyway,” Seungyoon said while slinging an arm around Minho’s (higher) neck, “I brought him with us so we could complete the pretty boy quartet. Thing about pretty boys, they always come in fours, kinda like the F4? I think he’ll fit in with us.”

“Aw, you think I’m pretty?” Minho said in a high-pitched voice with his hands twirling on his face.

“Yeah I do, and so does everyone else. Right Jinwoo hyung?”

“Huh?” Jinwoo blinked back at Seungyoon in confusion.

“Don’t you think our Minho is pretty?” Seungyoon looked back at him expectantly.

Jinwoo did not know how to reply to this trick question. If he said yes, his blooming crush would be too obvious. But if he said no, he feared he would cause the lightest of a bruise on Minho’s self-confidence. He quickly decided the latter would be too much of a pity so he picked the former, but not without hesitation. “U-uh yeah, sure he is.”

Minho said nothing in return. He just looked down at his shoes with a smile. 

Jinwoo thanked the universe that before things could get awkward they arrived at their destination, the cute café tucked in the corner a few blocks from campus. This was their spot, well at least Jinwoo, Seunghoon and Seungyoon’s. Now Minho’s too, apparently. 

“Song Minho, I officially invite you to the pretty boy spot, Halfmoon café,” Seunghoon announced. 

The four entered the calm-interior establishment, exchanging the warmth of nature’s sun for the cool of manmade air-conditioning. 

Minho marvelled at his surroundings. The seating was quaint and light blue, a match with the dreamy blue and white themed interior. Large french windows that let generous amounts of sun rays in, the wisps of aroma that smelled like coffee and freshly baked bread. Minho loved it. “Woah, why have I never been here before if it’s so close to campus?”

“It’s the siren on the Starbucks logo that's conveniently closer to campus that lures you in and stops you from exploring any further. Don’t tell anyone else about this place.”

Seungyoon exclaimed in surprise, “The Starbucks logo is a siren? I thought it was a mermaid!”

“No shit sherlock, it’s a two-tailed siren,” Seunghoon teased, “I suppose I expect too much from a measly Photography kid to know such basic knowledge about branding and logos.”

“HYUNG! MY IQ IS LITERALLY HIGHER THAN YOURS! AND I DON’T HAVE MEASLES WHAT?” 

Jinwoo and Minho’s laughs harmonized, with Jinwoo’s high pitch supporting Minho-’s baritone of a laugh. The taller then nudged the shorter as the bickering duo walked ahead of them towards the line, “So what are you ordering?”

“Well I usually order one of their specials, maybe I’ll have a ‘Swirled Cup of Warmth’. Seems appropriate for the day,” Jinwoo replied as they joined the line behind Seunghoon and Seungyoon. 

“Appropriate? How?”

“Well the sun is really nice today and also I made a new friend. That seems like a good enough reason.” Jinwoo smiled at Minho.

Minho didn’t smile back. Looking as neutral as possible, he asked, “You think we’re friends already?”

This caught Jinwoo off-guard. Weren’t they? The three had just introduced Minho to their spot and had a friendly chat on the way. Wasn’t that enough for the initiation process for a friend? Jinwoo stuttered out, “A-am I mistaken?”

Minho’s face suddenly lit up and he snickered, “I’m messing with you. Of course, we are. You should’ve seen your face.” 

Jinwoo sighed in relief as Minho breathed out residual snickers. He decided to ask, “What about you then, _friend_? What are you ordering?”

“Probably an iced americano, friend.”

“That’s so boring,” Jinwoo complained, “They have such cute speciality drinks. Give them a try, come on," Jinwoo latched on to Minho’s arm. Solely for emphasis, of course.

Minho replied while crossing his arms, “Okay then, surprise me.”

Jinwoo clapped his hands and squealed like a child who was promised candy. Minho just laughed in amusement.

When their turn finally came, Jinwoo instructed Minho to close his ears and look away which he kindly obliged to. Jinwoo ordered in a small voice, “One ‘Swirled Cup of Warmth’ and one ‘Latte filled with Love’ please,” Jinwoo knew it was obviously too soon to label what he felt for Minho as love, but the name was so cute and he was curious as to how it would turn out. While Minho was still looking away, he slipped in his card to the young lady behind the counter too.

He then tapped on Minho’s shoulder to signal he was done. Minho slipped his hand in his pocket to take out his wallet but before he could open his mouth to insist on paying, Jinwoo was already taking his card back from the barista. “Too late,” Jinwoo giggled as he led a puzzled Minho to the second counter where they would pick up their orders.

“I wanted to pay for my new friend though,” Minho grumbled as they waited for their drinks. 

Jinwoo continued to giggle as he said, “It’s okay. I’m older than you anyways. The hyung should always pay for the first time.”

“As long as this is the first of many.”

Jinwoo was grateful that today it felt like the universe was on his side, that Minho was too distracted by the arrival of their drinks to see Jinwoo’s face burn with a tinge of pink. 

They walked to the table where the bickering duo, still bickering but also occasionally sipping on coffee, were seated at the corner of the cafe. Jinwoo took a sip of his ‘Swirled Cup of Warmth’ while he looked out the window, entertaining the thought that if the spring weather had a taste, it would taste like his beverage.

He broke out of his thoughts as he heard Minho drawl, “Uhhh Hyung?”

Jinwoo quirked his head at Minho in confusion and he replied with his right hand holding the plastic lid of his opened drink, “Was the heart on top of the latte intentional or…” Minho broke his sentence into teasing chuckles.

Jinwoo just looked back down at his own drink, feeling the pink tinge making a return as he tried to find a way to justify himself. Was the universe really on his side?

He was too busy to notice his phone ding with a message from Seungyoon he would only go on to check on much later that read _‘I knew he was your type.’_


	2. your back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinwoo wrapped his arms around the expanse of Minho’s broad back and held his hands together at the other’s chest, giving him a sort of hug but from behind. Now that Jinwoo could feel the back, he realized his suspicions were true. Minho’s back was muscular and taut, but there was still a gentleness in the warmth it gave. He felt privileged to be able to be one of the few people in the world who would get to wrap their arms around Minho like this. It was nice. Giving Minho a back hug was very nice. 

The first time Kim Jinwoo hugged Song Minho, Jinwoo noticed how broad Minho’s back was. It happened when he was waiting for Minho outside his place of work.

  
  
  


Jinwoo had just finished his shift at the aquarium. He went into the back room reserved for staff and changed out of his work clothes into a loose black tee above his black skinny jeans. He looked back in the mirror at his reflection, all-black attire ready to rock at a concert, boots, choker, the whole nine yards. Usually Jinwoo didn’t indulge in fashion much, figuring his face was what people were going to focus on anyways but as of late, he had been putting a bit of extra thought into his clothing. He claimed it was just because the world of fashion had peaked his interests but Seunghoon and Seungyoon knew better. It seemed like the only one Jinwoo was actually trying to impress failed to notice his efforts. 

He packed his bags with his work clothes and bid his co-workers farewell, before stepping out to wait for his ride. Minho had promised he would pick Jinwoo up because the art shop he worked at was in the area. But as it turned out, he didn’t have to wait for his ride at all. There he was, standing in the 6 o’clock sunset in all his glory, with that crooked smile Jinwoo knew all too well. After knowing each other for only a few weeks, Jinwoo still felt like he could draw that smile in his sleep. If only he wasn’t such a bad artist. But it was just one of the many ways he balanced Minho out. 

Jinwoo smiled back at Minho. He began to walk towards him across the street but as he got closer he faltered because he noticed Minho was suddenly shorter- no, leaning on something- oh of course. Of course Song Minho rode a motorbike. As if the piercings, tattoos and long blonde hair weren’t doing enough for his bad-boy aesthetic, Minho just had to ride the thing Jinwoo had trauma tied with. Jinwoo rolled his eyes and sighed, “Why am I not surprised that you ride a bike?”

“Wait aren’t you impressed? Everyone usually is,” Minho said with a slight pout and Jinwoo had to hold himself back from pinching his cheeks. Minho being this cute was not helping his bad-boy illusion. 

“I would be if I didn’t hate riding them,” Jinwoo snarked at him.

“How could you hate bikes? They give you such a sense of freedom when you ride against the wind-”

“They’re dangerous. Not to mention impractical. Bikes are heavily romanticized and overrated.”

“Not impractical for a guy who lives alone and wants to save on gas. Also, every mode of transport is dangerous if not driven with caution.”

“Bikes. Are. Dumb.”

“Do you have a choice? Why are you so passionate about this anyways?” Minho suddenly stepped closer and held Jinwoo’s hand. Jinwoo’s heart skipped a beat and he was confused but he was not complaining. Before he could say or do anything, Minho, face deadpanned, whispered, “Jinwoo, if you’re a pussy that’s scared of bikes, you know you can admit it right?”

Jinwoo threw Minho’s hand away and yelled at him, “I am not a pussy!” Minho lost it. His body shook with every breath and his eyes crinkled at the corners. Not a new sight to Jinwoo but elating every single time.

Recovering from his laughing fit, Minho asked, “Then why do you hate bikes so much?”

Jinwoo glanced at his feet, “It’s just that, I have bad memories with bikes,” He looked up at Minho who was beckoning him to continue, “Well, long story short, I may have once tried to impress my crush by riding a bike and I may have crashed it into a tree.” Minho almost fell off his bike in hilarity. 

As much as Jinwoo liked it when Minho laughed, he did not like Minho laughing at his haunting and embarrassing past. He punched him on the shoulder while yelling that it wasn’t funny but looking at Jinwoo mad just made Minho laugh even more while he huffed, “You loser,” in-between his breaths. Jinwoo grinned. Maybe it was a little funny.

Minho finally calmed down and climbed the bike, “As much as I would love to go in-depth as to how you made such a fool out of yourself, we should really get going or Seunghoon hyung will beat our asses if we’re late.”

Jinwoo didn’t move and stared at the bike in cowardice. As much as he hated to admit it, the incident with his crush had left him a fear of riding bikes. Noticing Jinwoo’s hesitance, Minho held his hand out, “Don’t worry hyung, I’ll make sure to replace your bad memories with good ones.”

Jinwoo’s heart melted just a little. He took Minho’s hand and put his leg around the bike to sit behind the boy. 

As soon as Jinwoo climbed the bike, he couldn’t help but take in how broad Minho’s back was. He knew Minho’s frame was wider than his own but he had never noticed the extent of it until now. Even though he couldn’t tell underneath the denim jacket Minho wore, he was sure a back this broad had to be muscular. Minho mistook Jinwoo’s awe for fear and whispered, “I’ll keep you safe hyung. Oh, and I won’t tell anyone you’re a pussy.”

This earned a chuckle from Jinwoo, “Thank you, Minho.”

Minho smiled at Jinwoo before looking in the front and inserting his keys into the ignition, “You know you’re going to have to hold on tight though right?” He didn’t have to be told twice. Jinwoo wrapped his arms around the expanse of Minho’s broad back and held his hands together at the other’s chest, giving him a sort of hug but from behind. Now that Jinwoo could feel the back, he realized his suspicions were true. Minho’s back was muscular and taut, but there was still a gentleness in the warmth it gave. He felt privileged to be able to be one of the few people in the world who would get to wrap their arms around Minho like this. It was nice. Giving Minho a back hug was very nice. 

“Ready?” Minho asked as he revved the engine. 

“Ready,” Jinwoo confirmed.

Minho stepped on the pedal and they were on the road. Jinwoo’s heart spiked up in pace. It had been a really long time since he sat on a bike again. Instinctively, he tightened his grip around Minho. If it wasn’t for Minho’s presence, his touch, Jinwoo wasn’t sure if he would’ve held himself back from screaming. But he felt safe, secure with his hands wrapped around the man he trusted so much in the little time they had spent together. He also felt comforted by the fact that he noticed Minho was being extremely careful to not speed up for Jinwoo, even though they were a bit late. He couldn’t help but smile to himself.

They stopped at a red light. Minho took the opportunity to ask Jinwoo, “You good?” Jinwoo hummed in response. He continued, “See, I told you riding a bike isn’t so bad. By the end of the day, I’ll make sure you love it.”

They rode on.

It took them a while before they reached the concert venue. But Jinwoo didn’t mind much. “How was it?” Minho asked as soon as they got off after parking their vehicle. 

“I have to admit, it was kind of fun.” 

“See! I told you. Now come on,” Minho said as he grabbed Jinwoo’s wrist, “We have to run or Seunghoon hyung’s going to dump us outside.”

Even though the pair were running straight through a crowd, Jinwoo still felt skittish that Minho was holding his arm. Maybe not hand-holding but this was something to Jinwoo. As they ran around, scanning through the crowd for two boys, one raven-haired and the other’s hair bleached, they suddenly heard a high-pitched screech “You’re twenty-one minutes late!”

That could only be one person. They ran towards Seunghoon and Seungyoon who were way ahead in the line and about to reach security. “You know if you were a bit later, we would have left you guys behind,” Seungyoon said.

“Says you Kang Seungyoon,” Jinwoo pointed out, “You would never be on time in your life if it wasn’t for Seunghoon.”

Seungyoon pouted, “Seunghoon hyung, Jinwoo hyung’s being mean to me.”

“He’s not wrong, is he. What took you guys so long anyway?”

Jinwoo looked at Minho, slightly embarrassed at the revelation he was expecting, but the boy simply replied, “My bike broke down.”

Seunghoon huffed and complained about how he wished every night that he could change his group of friends but Seungyoon and Minho teased him while chanting “You love us. You love us.” Jinwoo couldn’t help but be distracted by the fact that Minho kept his promise. He didn’t expose Jinwoo for the downright pussy that he was. It was such a minuscule thing but it was the small things Minho did that Jinwoo couldn’t help but fall for him even more.

Jinwoo snapped out of his daze when the intimidating security guard asked for his bag and checked through its contents. The boys went through the line and finally entered the venue. 

While they were waiting for the show to begin, Minho remarked, “Can’t believe you guys are such Big Bang fanboys.”

“What do you mean? Everyone is in love with Big Bang!” Jinwoo exclaimed.

“They’re kind of a cliché idol boy band. Their music’s alright though I guess.”

All three boys turned their heads towards Minho in disbelief. Seungyoon shrieked in Big Bang’s defence, “They literally broke the mould for idol boy groups with their unique sound and concepts. Minho, are you crazy?!”

Seunghoon shook his head and asked, “If you abhor them so much, why are you even here then?”

“I didn’t have anything better to do and besides-”

**‘Yeogi buteora’**

As soon as the opening line of ‘Fantastic Baby’ sounded throughout the crowd, the four boys abandoned their previous conversation and screamed their lungs out. 

Song after song, the boys jumped, hooted and sang along. They rode the wave of hype, not giving a single care about the passage of time or the sweat dripping down their bodies. Even in his frenzy, Jinwoo didn’t fail to note down that not only did Minho know the lyrics to every song, he even knew all the ad-libs and breakdowns. He laughed. A pussy and a fanboy. Add in a hipster and a rascal, and they made the best crew Jinwoo could’ve ever asked for.

Once the concert was over and the boys exited the venue, still coming down from their concert high, three of them discussed their favourite parts about the concert and how it was one of the best experiences of their life (and how hot the members were in person) while Minho just smiled giddily, still refraining from the conversation. 

“Song Minho,” Seungyoon screamed, “Don’t even pretend like you didn’t have the time of your life.”

“Not bad.”

“Not bad,” Seunghoon mocked in air quotes, “Don’t think we didn’t see you rap all the GD verses to a T. Honestly, I don’t know if I was just hallucinating or if Minho was actually doing the fan chants.”

“I can’t believe Minho is such a fanboy,” Jinwoo laughed, “I never expected this. Song Minho, a full-time art hoe, to be the biggest VIP I’ve ever met.” Minho scratched his head in embarrassment.

Seungyoon nudged his elbow into Minho’s ribs. Minho replied by pulling Seungyoon’s hair and the two started to play-fight.

Seunghoon passed them a disapproving look, “Children I tell you. Anyways, Jinwoo hyung, wanna go to a club to wrap up the night? I’m still buzzed from the show and need some alcohol, and by that, I mean only two shots, in my bloodstream right now.”

“Nah, I’m drained out. First the shift, then the show. Not tonight but maybe some other time.”

“Wow, killjoy. Minho, what about you?”

Minho shook his head, “I can’t either. Same as Jinwoo, I had work before this. I’m shit tired. Jinwoo hyung, want me to ride you back home?”

“If it’s not too much of an inconvenience.”

“Of course it isn’t hyung.”

Seunghoon said, “Okay then sourpusses get going. Trust me, you’re going to regret rejecting my offers when you're old and wrinkly and smell like prunes.”

“Hyung why didn’t you ask me to come?” Seungyoon complained.

“Because I know you’re going to come with me. You always do. You’re too scared to let me drink alone.”

“But what about my consent? What if I changed my mind tonight?” 

“Okay then, Kang Seungyoon, would you like to go to the club with me?”

Seungyoon nodded quickly with the brightest smile, embodying the role of the youngest perfectly. 

Seunghoon sighed, “I was gonna convince you even if you said no. I need someone to get me home in a single piece after all. Maybe this time, let’s also try on not having my wallet robbed,” he grabbed Seungyoon’s arm to lead him to the bus stop as he called out to Minho and Jinwoo, “Peace out guys. If I accidentally send you pictures of my dick, just know that I was probably hammered.”

Seungyoon waved to them while walking backwards and being dragged by Seunghoon before turning around and putting an arm around him.

Minho and Jinwoo made their way to the parking lot. Jinwoo enjoyed the darkness with the only light illuminating their path coming from the streetlights that stood a few feet apart. There was an atmosphere of comforting silence blanketing the two. There was distant chatter from the lingering flocks of people that were heading the same place they were, but neither of them noticed. Too exhausted for words, they walked in peace and simply embraced each other’s presence. Jinwoo loved how silence was never awkward with Minho. 

As they reached the bike, Minho wordlessly climbed on before helping Jinwoo on like the gentleman he was. Instead of asking him to hold on tight, Minho simply grabbed Jinwoo’s hands from behind him and wrapped them around his waist. Jinwoo didn’t want to misunderstand Minho’s actions but he couldn’t help but feel like that was an affectionate gesture, something that maybe people who were just friends didn’t do. 

They rode across the dark streets that were initially crowded but emptied out as time passed. Minho rode carefully again and Jinwoo was grateful. Jinwoo felt relaxed in the lull with the background tempo as the bike’s engine. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the back that he was holding on to. Warm. Song Minho was so warm. And Jinwoo loved it. 

When they stopped at a red light, Minho broke the silence by asking Jinwoo, “Are you falling asleep?”

“No. I’m just enjoying this.”

“Is my back cosy enough for you?”

Jinwoo giggled, “It’s the coziest back I’ve ever been blessed with.”

The lights turned green and Minho continued to drive at a comfortable acceleration. The wind picked up and brushed against Jinwoo’s hair. Here, resting his head on Minho’s strong back and the wind brushing against his hair as they drove, Jinwoo could get used to this. It was hard for him to not doze off but he pulled through. 

They reached Jinwoo’s place and Minho dropped him off at the entrance. “You wanna come up and maybe grab a bite?” Jinwoo asked, secretly keeping his hopes up to just spend a little more time with his favourite person.

“Maybe next time hyung. I just want to get home and pass out at this point.” Jinwoo ignored the slight sting of disappointment.

“Thanks a lot for the ride Minho. You kept your promise, I can now associate a lot of good memories with bikes.”

Minho smiled, “I’m a man of my word, what can I say. Maybe one day, I’ll help you learn how to ride it without crashing into a tree.”

This made Jinwoo crack up, “Maybe. I’ll wait for that day in fear,” then he waved to Minho as he walked to the entrance to his apartment building, “Bye Minho. Drive home safe.”

Before Jinwoo could take a step into the building, he heard Minho call out, “Hyung!”

“What?”

“Please don’t tell anyone about my secret love for Big Bang.”

Jinwoo snickered, “I promise to not tell a soul. Now get going before it gets too late. Take care.”

Jinwoo got on the elevator to his flat. He opened the door to the place he so dearly called home and got ready for bed, not even bothering to have a late-night snack because he was just that beat. 

He got on his bed that wasn’t the softest but felt like heaven in the state that he was in. Before he could close his eyes to enter a spell of slumber, his phone buzzed. It was an Instagram DM from Minho.

realllllmino: hyung wanna know a secret

realllllmino: [@jiyongsbaby]

xxjjjwww: it’s a big bang stan account. what about it?

realllllmino: it’s my old big bang fan acc

xxjjjwww: OMG Minho AHAHAHAHAHAHAH YOU HOPELESS FANBOY

realllllmino: lol you’re the only who knows about this

realllllmino: gn hyung sleep tight

xxjjjwww: you too jiyongsbaby

realllllmino: hyungggggg noooo

Jinwoo chuckled to himself and set his phone down. He got underneath the covers. He loosened underneath the blanket but as he dozed off, he couldn’t help but wonder how he could’ve felt much cozier if only he only had Minho’s back again.


	3. your hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minho turned to see what had been occupying Jinwoo’s vision. He saw the couple, and their hand-holding didn’t go past him. 
> 
> “Don’t get me wrong,” Jinwoo tried to explain himself, “it’s just I kind of miss just holding hands-” 
> 
> Jinwoo couldn’t complete his sentence because his left hand was no longer cold.

The first time Kim Jinwoo held Song Minho’s hand, Jinwoo realized how veiny they were. It happened when they went to the movies together.

  
  
  


Jinwoo checked the time on his phone with his other hand that wasn’t holding a large popcorn and nachos. 7:30 pm. 15 more minutes until the movie started. Although this was nothing new for Seungyoon, to be oh so late, it was, however, very atypical of Seunghoon. Minho asked him after he took the nth sip from his soda, “Nothing from them?”

“Nope. Nothing on the group chat either.”

“Let’s wait for 5 more minutes. If they don’t reply, let’s just go in without them, yeah?”

Before Jinwoo could nod in agreement, as if on cue, his phone buzzed with a notification. 

**[ the pretty boys ]**

maetamong: JINWOO HYUNG

xxjjjwww: SEUNGHOON

maetamong: GO IN WITHOUT US

xxjjjwww: WHERE ARE YOU? HOME? 

xxjjjwww: if you're not busy, come out

maetamong: at the hospital near halfmoon

maetamong: haute suddenly got super sick

xxjjjwww: what about yoon

maetamong: he’s with me

maetamong: need my fellow dog owner as emotional support

maetamong: you guys go ahead without us

maetamong: HAVE FUN BOIS

maetamong: DONT DO ANYTHING I WOULD

  
  


“What happened?”

“Haute is sick, so Seung Seung are going to the hospital next to Halfmoon. They told us to just go ahead.”

“Aw no Haute,” Minho pouted. Minho’s big heart had a soft spot for all animals, especially ones as cute as Seunghoon’s Italian Greyhound. Jinwoo wanted to coo at him.

“Hoon’s probably overreacting. He’s extra possessive when it comes to Haute, which is saying something because we all know how possessive he usually is. C’mon,” Jinwoo said as he nudged Minho towards the ticket counter, “let’s get in. I want to dig into my nachos already.” Jinwoo felt guilty for being slightly elated at the thought of being alone with Minho at the expense of Haute being sick but Seunghoon was probably just being over-dramatic so it was okay, right?

“Do you ever think about anything except food?” Minho teased as they gave the tickets to the employee that guarded the entrances to the theatre rooms.

“Yes I do!” Jinwoo fought back (weakly) with playful agitation as he took their checked tickets back.

“Oh do you? Like what”

“Like Park Hyungsik in Hwarang!”

Minho mused, “Now what does Park Hyungsik have to be on your mind that I don't?” 

“He’s-he’s-” Jinwoo’s brain emptied out. Of course, he couldn’t admit to Minho that he occupied a large space of Jinwoo’s thoughts, a space considerably larger than the space reserved for his favourite actor. He could say it was because Hyungsik was handsome, but obviously, so was Minho. After all, every single girl (and the gays just like him) fawned over Minho’s beauty. He could say Hyungsik was funny, but Jinwoo had never doubled over with laughter at his jokes as he had at Minho’s. He could say Hyungsik was simply a very good actor but he wasn’t the one that kept Jinwoo’s biggest secrets as Minho did. So Jinwoo stuttered and nothing else.

Minho smirked, “Maybe the silence is a sign that I should be on your mind more often, hyung.”

Then the fucker had the audacity to wink at him. Jinwoo wanted to punch him and kiss him at the same time. 

They entered their designated cinema hall and sat down in their seats as the ads played out. Minho was pulsing his leg upside down in excitement while Jinwoo was almost already through with his plate of nachos. With a mouth half-full with tortillas and melted cheese and jalape ñ os, “So what movie are we here for again?” 

Minho gaped at him, “Did you really come here to watch a movie that you don’t even know the title of?”

“I think we’ve established that the only reason I would leave my house to consume entertainment from outside the comfort of my own home is for the food. Nachos only taste good in a dark room with a shit ton of people next to you. Now tell me, which film are we watching?”

Minho squealed in excitement, eliciting a laugh from Jinwoo, “Avengers Endgame, only the best movie of the decade!” 

“Ah so you’re a closeted Big Bang fanboy but you are a proud fanboy of the MCU.”

“I’m not an MCU fanboy as such but I just fuck with the Avengers series super hard. Aren’t you excited to know what happens after the last film?”

“Sorry I can’t even remember what the last movie was about, I was too busy staring at Chris Evans’s biceps.”

“Alas, another competitor I must compete with,” Minho sighed. Jinwoo giggled. He was starting to get used to this flirtatious side of Minho, but he secretly hoped he was the only one Minho acted this way towards. 

Before Jinwoo’s thoughts could wander off into a deep, dark hole as to whether Minho was this way to everyone or only to him, the movie began and the crowd erupted in cheers. He decided to push the negative thoughts away and make an attempt to actually enjoy the movie. 

As the movie played on, Jinwoo tried to concentrate but he couldn’t help but be distracted. For some reason, Minho’s reactions to the scenes were way more entertaining. Every gasp, every laugh, every lip-bite of concentration Minho displayed did not fail to pass Jinwoo’s radar. The movie reached an extended action scene and Jinwoo couldn’t be bothered. He didn’t like action, it was the most yawn-worthy genre in his opinion. So instead he focused on the boy to his right, who expressed emotions on his face in the rawest form. Minho was completely engrossed in the scene, jaw clenched and brows knitted together. Jinwoo noticed that when Minho concentrated, he tended to grasp onto the nearest thing available. It was one of the many things Jinwoo had stored in the folder in his head named ‘Song Minho’. Clenching the nearest object was under the ‘quirks when concentrating’ subfolder. 

In this scenario, it was the empty cup holder that was between their seats. Minho gripped onto it like a lifeline. Jinwoo couldn’t help but observe how veiny Minho’s hands were. Under the sole light source coming from the screen in the darkroom, he could see the dips of Minho’s knuckles of his left hand and how the veins popped. There were three veins that ran along from the knuckles that combined to form a trident mid-hand. His fingers were long and boney, perfect for instruments Jinwoo mused. Jinwoo would never admit it but he had a secret thing for hands. And seeing Minho’s clenched onto the handle between them so tightly, veins green in prominence, like a river with its tributaries- Jinwoo shook his thoughts away. He admitted he was being a little creepy but that’s what having a crush and a hand kink did to you. He looked away and back at the screen, hoping Minho had not noticed his blatant analysis of the other’s hand.

Keeping track of the rest of the movie was hard after that. When the movie finally ended and the credits started rolling, Jinwoo exhaled, “Well, that was one heck of a movie.”

But no response came. Jinwoo looked to his right and saw Minho gazing far off with a single tear running down his right cheek. Extremely worried now, Jinwoo asked, “Minho, are you okay?”

Minho choked out, “That was- that was beautiful.”

Jinwoo didn’t know whether to laugh, shake his head or comfort him. “And you said you weren’t an MCU fanboy?”

“Well, I am now.”

Jinwoo chuckled as he got ready to leave, “Okay fanboy, let’s actually leave the theatre before you start gushing for your love for the movie.”

But before Jinwoo could even take a step towards the stairs, he was pulled back down to his seat with a tug on his arm.

“How could you be so foolish to leave a Marvel film without watching the post-credits scene?” 

Jinwoo sat there against his will and waited for the credits to completely roll out. He looked around at the empty theatre only to see one other couple sitting far front. Jinwoo secretly entertained the thought that there were only two couples in the whole cinema. Much to his annoyance, there was no post-credits scene, only a loud ringing of metal clanging against each other. Jinwoo thought it was stupid that they waited just for that but Minho couldn’t care less as he spewed out one theory after another as to what those few seconds of decibels signified while they walked out of the theatre. 

They walked back to Minho’s infamous motorbike just talking about anything and everything. Sure, Jinwoo loved the flirting, the “accidental” skinship and the messing with each other, but it was times like this where they talked about whatever popped into their heads first that Jinwoo really treasured. Minho was his best friend first, crush second. 

Jinwoo climbed on behind Minho using his muscle memory as he continued to passionately explain his hatred for mint choco chip when Minho interrupted, “Although I’m enjoying this rant about your least favourite ice cream flavour, which, for the record, I wholeheartedly disagree with-”

“Hey!”

“-I was going to ask if you wanted to maybe go for a walk by the Han river? It’s not too late and honestly, I don’t feel like going home just yet. What do you say, wanna digest that nacho cheese?”

Jinwoo thought for a second. It was only 9:30 so Jinwoo had a few hours before he went to bed (courtesy of his poor sleep cycle) and he didn’t have any classes the next day. But maybe he shouldn’t because he should try to sleep early and he had quite a bit of work to complete… who was he kidding? Anything for Minho.

“Suresies, let’s roll Maino.”

“Kim Jinwoo, I crown thee ‘King of Cringe’,” Minho teased as he revved his engine.

“As I was saying, mint choco chip tastes like brushing your teeth but like if brushing ruined your dental hygiene instead of improving it...”

By the time Jinwoo finished his rant, they had reached Han river which was only a few lanes away. The first thing Minho did after parking was run up to the metal railing and just stare at the vast expanse of the water body. Jinwoo huffed a laugh and joined him. For a while, they stood there, looking at the rainbow lights, the never-ending city line and the dark, dark water. Jinwoo glanced at Minho, only to see those hands he had developed a special liking to grip onto the metal railing.

“You know,” Minho broke the silence and Jinwoo looked back at the river, “Han river is my favourite place to come to chill.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I and my mother used to come here a lot and take walks. Whenever I would be upset because of my poor grades or fight with my sister, she used to bring me here to calm me down and brighten up my mood. Safe to say, it worked really well.”

Jinwoo walked to the footpath, “Well then, let’s take a walk for old time’s sake and please, tell me more about your mother.”

Minho smiled fondly at Jinwoo and joined him in his stroll. He told Jinwoo about his mother, his relationship with his father, how annoying his sisters were but he secretly loved them both (“Please don’t tell them I said that”) and how family was something he relied on heavily as he was growing up. 

Minho asked Jinwoo about his family. Jinwoo spoke greatly of his father, how he was the best fisherman in Imjado, and how Jinwoo and he fought when Jinwoo mentioned moving to Seoul.

“He’s the best father I could’ve asked for.”

“He sounds amazing. I would love to meet him one day.”

“I promise to take you to Imjado, someday.”

“So we’re both pretty lucky in the family department, huh?” Minho said while looking up as they walked next to each other.

“I guess we are. Even in the friends' department apparently. I mean we have each other.”

“And those idiots Seung Seung.”

Jinwoo chuckled at the thought of those two losers he loved to death, “Even Seung Seung.”

“Speaking of Seung Seung,” Minho stretched his words, “what’s going on between them?”

Jinwoo raised his eyebrows in confusion, “What do you mean?”

“Are you serious?! Haven’t you noticed the crazy sexual tension between those two?”

Jinwoo was stunned. Sure Yoon and Hoon were really close, sometimes even too close, but Jinwoo had never thought they wanted to fuck each other. Jinwoo remained silent as his brain tried to put the pieces together in his head.

Minho decided to assist, “You’re telling me you’ve never caught Hoonie hyung staring at Seungyoon’s lips? He does it so blatantly. And that Yoon, he sucks at hiding how much he loves watching hyung dance. He shamelessly stares at him, as if he’s undressing hyung in his head.”

“Oh my god…”, Jinwoo’s eyes widened in realization, “YOU’RE RIGHT!”

Minho continued to spew evidence after evidence about how Seunghoon and Seungyoon obviously had heat in the pants for each other (his words not Jinwoo’s). Minho was making some very good points that Jinwoo was intrigued by, but he couldn’t help but be distracted by what he saw in front of him.

A young couple of two girls who looked fresh out of high school. They were both about the same height, the one slightly shorter had her head resting on the other’s shoulder as they walked together. What caught Jinwoo’s attention was the couple’s hands, tightly intertwined, as if they would lose a part of themselves if they let go. Jinwoo felt happy for them, but that didn’t stop the prick of jealousy from creeping through his chest. It had been a long time since Jinwoo had done something like that with someone, and he missed it. A lot. He suddenly noticed how much his own hands were freezing. He missed holding hands, exchanging love from the simple act of holding on to each other’s palms as-

“Hello,” Jinwoo broke from his trance as Minho's hand waved in front of him, “Earth to Jinwoo. What happened?”

Jinwoo shrugged, “Nothing,” He wasn’t sure if he wanted Minho to know how desperate he was. 

Minho turned to see what had been occupying Jinwoo’s vision. He saw the couple, and their hand-holding didn’t go past him. 

“Don’t get me wrong,” Jinwoo tried to explain himself, “it’s just I kind of miss just holding hands-” 

Jinwoo couldn’t complete his sentence because his left hand was no longer cold. It was melting from the warmth Minho’s passed on. Jinwoo himself was melting. He couldn’t get his head around the fact that Song Minho’s perfect hand was wrapped onto his. Those long, boney, slightly rough fingers were in between his own petite, fair ones. Jinwoo was sure his face had turned bright red but he couldn’t care less, he was too focused on calming down his heart that was beating rapidly, pumping blood faster, more desperately, than it ever has. Those complex veins that he had observed earlier were now within his grasp. He brushed his thumb across the bumps the veins created, loving how smooth the skin was. His heart seemed to quicken in pace. But it felt good. All of it did. His racing heart, the sense of safety Minho’s hand gave, the butterflies in his stomach. Jinwoo loved it. He never wanted to let go. 

But he didn’t know what to do. What to say. So he just stared at the ground in front of him as they walked.

“Is this okay?” Minho whispered in Jinwoo’s ear.

“Yes,” Jinwoo whispered back. 

“I want you to know that I really like this.”

“Me too, Minho. Me too.”

Jinwoo could finally smile, knowing that the feeling was mutual. They walked for a seemingly long time. No words exchanged. They didn’t seem necessary. Because Jinwoo’s hand was being held by the guy he really, really liked. And nothing else seemed to matter. The jealousy had vanished, only to be replaced by utter adoration reserved only for the man next to him.

Jinwoo’s heart had calmed down but now his chest was, much like his hand, warm.

“Hyung?”

“Mhm?”

“I hate to break the moment but I just had to tell you. I realized something.”

“What is it?” Jinwoo asked, half in hope for Minho to say something sweet, half in genuine curiosity.

“You know how Hoon hyung said they were taking Haute to the hospital next to Halfmoon? That’s a human hospital hyung, not a vet. We’ve been bamboozled by Seung Seung yet again.”

That was the second time that day that Jinwoo wanted to punch him and kiss him at the same time. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Don't be shy and let me know if you did haha


End file.
